Just call me Dan

I'm really not digging this game.

HMM.. I never heard it as such, but your knowledge is far superior than mine in most cases, so I'll concede. It still makes sense, but with the rampate HHHate going around, those are easy to come by. Thanks for clearing that up. Problem is , it was such a spur of the moment change. Both guys were healthy and it would have probably drawn fairly well, so why the big switch? Somethings missing.

I'm referring to the bait and switch match on Raw when Booker was gaining momentum and heading into wrestlemania. He threw Rock over the top in the battle royale, and it was heavily advertised that Booker/Rock would go down the next week. Speculation arose that HHH WAS NOT dropping the title and Booker would go down clean, causing Rock to back out and Hurricane/Rock took place instead.

I'm thinking of the end of a Smackdown when HHH was busted open earlier and he comes to the ring during a match Edge is in and clocks everyone in the ring with the sledge in a fit of rage. Edge confronts him the next week and they look as if they are building toward a feud. then nothing at all happened.

Both men have had far worse matches, and that match had a lot of emotion, although not the greatest. I've always seen and heard them both talk very low of the match. Austin admits it was sorry, and even in HBK's DVD I think he mentions it as not a match he liked. What went wrong?

I agree, bob. I meant it as in he's looking forward and he sees that about to happen, which is not to his liking. it hadn't happened yet, but it was forthcoming and he left.

I assumed he would headline one with Hunter before HHH made the big move to RAW and Michaels came around. Around what time was that?

Voting for these will end tomorrow night.

Oh, he was protected off and on, but you don't see these guys go through spells or periods of time when they are jobbed out or made to look second rate. Austin was probably about to get shuffled through like guys like booker or Jericho get, and no one on that level deserves that, just like they don't.

Austin made plenty of mistakesa dn got increasingly paranoid at this point, I'd assume. HHH and all that going around plus the fact that he's not being treated as he should have (No I don't mean squashing everyone and feuding with Taker) made him want to try and re-establish himself. I can't blame him for the Brock thing and it sucks that after all he had produced he's now on the verge of being in the doghouse after an incredibly productive (wrestling-wise) 2001 year. It didn't make sense to him that guys were so protected (Much like show, Taker, A-Train and of course Levesque) but he couldn't get the same treatment. Rock wouldn't do that job to Booker for the same reason, and i'm positive he wouldn't have worked so heavily with Hurricane had he known what HHH would do the next few weeks. Austin has been around in there when HBK was running rampant and Bret Hart lost his career. He's seen a lot more than what was also going on at the time. He acted irrationally if those plans for the Eddy/Benoit feuds were correct, but his motives were just. Brock/Austin could have been HUGE and especially around this time if austin were healthy. If that were thropwn out there a year or so ago, it would have been pathetic. Basically, austin is no big fan of miracle pushes or rapid movement up the card without justification. That's not how it used to work when he was on top of things. You can see what happenes when that is all going on. (Giant Gonzles, etc.)

Where did you hear that? (About the haircut) I think Edge did very well with his push, and he seemed to be given the right treatment as a slow build into marquee matchups. He never was in line for a Lesnar like push and hasn't had feuds with people like the Rock in an attempt to quickly and unjustly catapult his character and career. He's been pushed just like he should have been, and when he returns he'll probably have a significant amount of momentum leading into a great place on the card for a long time. Take a look at Gunn from KOTR 99 ro Late 2000. Completely done for. Edge has been VERY consistenet and although he didn't ge any god push or big Show miracle push, he's steadily continued upward.

Well, I have one thing to add to all of this. If Brock taps oin this match he REALLY needs to lay it on there like Kane when he taps or Rhyno. that wussy patting of the canvas bothers the shit out of me. Where the hell does he go if he loses THIS match too? The only faces around he could be in feuds with need big wins MORE than he does! This is ass backwards.

I know! And I'm never sarcastic! Well, you are always really nice.

No, eddie, he's not being sarcastic, he's just being really nice!

i'm almost positive even this quick and easy topic has been recently discussed. RR03 hands down, and I don't think there are any who'd argue.

Where've you been? My unfrequent visits here cause me to not have any idea as to why you left. good to have you back either way, though, i've always enjoyed your contributions here. Welcome back.

Sorry Rant. No one else wanted it enough to vote it in. Especially after the comics folder only had one nominee, I wanted enough people to be nominated for each category. It didn't seem sensible.

Movies Folder Champion Round 2 Voting Downhome (beat Lethargic 6-3 ) vs. Mr. Zsasz ( beat The Mighty Damaramu 8 - 1 ) Music Folder Champion Triple threat Round 2 Voting Incandenza ( beat Kinetic 6 -3 ) vs. CoreyLazarus (tied with AoO) vs. Agent of Oblivion (tied with CL) General Chat Triple Threat Round 2 Voting Kotzenjunge ( beat cobainwasmurdered 6 -3 ) vs. Kinetic ( beat Lightning Flik 6 -3 ) vs. Zack Malibu ( beat Incandenza 5 - 4 ) Please vote for one to declare the new champs of those respective folders. New Voting Current Events Folder Champion Round 1 Voting Dr. Tom vs. Eric MM Cancer Marney vs. Someguy TheMikeSC vs. NoCalMike DeputyHawk vs. Tyler McCelland fkteale vs. Jobber of the Week vs. Agent of Oblivion Love, Sex, & Dating Folder Champion Round 1 Voting Kotzenjunge vs TexasSmallArms09 IDrinkRatsMilk vs. EricMM stardust vs. SweetnSexyDiva Please vote for one in each match. Since Agent of Oblivion was allowed to advance although a tie was present in the music folder and he was also in the running for Current Events, he was put in a 3 way because of the odd number of candidates. Thanks for voting.

I still cannot believe some of the basics that the next gen systems left behind after No Mercy like those reversals. I swear its like they lost all data ever created on the 64 games.

Taker's sounds during matches have been the source of MUCH comedy over the years. If you can, go back and watch Summerslam 01 where he starts pounding away at DDP in the corner. WTF? I can't watch it anymore because of the career killing that went on to take place as the match progressed, but it is funny nonethless. Taker WILL NOT lay down clean for Angle because he did sop for Brock, who in turn jobbed out to Angle, meaning Taker has to reset the system of chacks and balances.

Those are some excellent choices. I'd REALLY like to pick up Stand By Me and Black Hawk down. I think I will.

I just want to thank you Flik and Zsasz for at least acknowledging this little tourney. I had hoped it would mean something to people, and this has got to be the least voted in tournament type thing we've ever had. Everything I post gets no-sold, but you guys helped it out.

The crossface is more visually impressive. The Camel Clutch has been used as a generic rest hold so much in the past that having it as a finisher seems extremely lame--it's like the standard sleeper now. Plus, who really wants to use the same finisher that the Sultan used? Similarly, what do think is more effective: Sharpshooter or Boston Crab? Which one would get more of a reaction and be considered by marks as more devastating? Plus, Jericho's "Winnepeg Crab" is probably considered the lamest finishing hold around since just about everyone, from main eventer to midcarder to jobber to stiffs like Nash and Steiner have escaped it. The Crossface in theory also works the arm/shoulder. Yeah, it doesn't even look like it would hurt that area, but that's the way it is treated in matches. You'll see Benoit use shoulderbreakers or post someone's shoulder en route to setting up the hold. Also, I figured Benoit worked over that shoulder a lot during the match to weaken it in order to keep it from being unhooked. Although it doesn't look as great or crisp nowadays (the hooking of the arm), it is still vital to the hold in theory. There is no denying that move works the neck mostly. I've felt it. I'd assume he works over that arm to ensure he can keep the hold locked for the length of time it takes his opponent to tap.

As a whole, smackdown is heavily populated by McMahon driven storylines. It has been since the start of the year. McMahon knowing his skits and angles are crap just baffles me as to why he continues the constant Mcmahon exposure on smackdown even when HE knows it sucks.

Shane's selling/acting was superb in the spot though, I must admit. It was stupid, but Shane did his best.